YOUNGSTERS have been making a little bit of history - settling into the newest school in the county town of North Yorkshire.

Some 35 pupils have started at the newly-opened Sacred Heart RC Primary School, in Northallerton.

With places for 91, the total is expected to rise quickly, attracting youngsters from a wide catchment area.

Sacred Heart is the first new school in the town for decades, and was built to meet a long-standing need. Previously, the nearest Catholic school was at Thirsk.

Headteacher Peter Griffin said: "This is an exciting time for everybody. It's a step forward in history, as far as Catholics are concerned, for education in Northallerton, and the whole of North Yorkshire."

The school will also take non-Catholic children if their parents want them to have a Christian education, and if there are spaces.